Rhonwen
Contents
History
Born in the arc 509, Rhonwen is the second-born of the Immortal Ethelynda to a Legatius that had become close to the Noble Serpent. Like her warrior father, and unlike her elder brother Ethelm, Rhonwen was perfectly healthy and quite strong. Her father was a proud man, and he instilled in Rhonwen a pride in her heritage that she would carry through out her long life, growing into a focus on purity of blood-lines, a belief that a strong bloodline and heritage gave birth to natural talent.
From a young age, she studied tactics and combat, quickly fulfilling every hope her father had for her. As she grew older, many hoped that her Mortalborn powers would accentuate her combat prowess, though this proved to be untrue, as her Mortalborn powers weren't particularly useful in combat. Despite that, when she old enough, she joined the Yithiral military and proved to be as skilled in battle as she was on the practice field, rapidly rising up the ranks. By the time Rhonwen was 23, she had become a Legatius, the same as her father. Specifically, she had become a Legatius Inquiria, one of Yithiral's military investigators, and was touted by many as the next Imperiatim Primus.
About this time, rumors began to spread through Yithiral. After his birth, Ethelm had been named the heir to Ethelynda's status as the leader of Yithiral. However, Ethelm had a damaged tail from birth and would never be the warrior his sister was, and his general refusal to accept a high rank in any of the branches of Yithiral government sat ill with many of the city leaders. They felt the healthy, capable, and popular Rhonwen would make a better heir, if such a thing were needed, than Ethelm, who preferred spending time in his forge to helping to run the city.
When word of these rumors reached Rhonwen, however, she did something silenced them forever. Normally a proud, almost haughty woman, Rhonwen was known to only ever bow before her mother, Ethelynda herself. Yet, at the next gathering of the city leaders, Rhonwen bowed before Ethelm and declared that she would never challenge him for his rightful place as Ethelynda's heir and that she would obey any command he gave her, so long as Ethelynda didn't counter it.
Before the leaders could comprehend that Rhonwen had just placed herself under the command of a man who was much lower in rank than she was, despite his status as Ethelynda's firstborn, Rhonwen turned on them with a fury they had never seen from her. She berated them for their disloyalty not only to Ethelm, the rightful heir to Yithiral should the unthinkable happen to Ethelynda, but for their disloyalty to Ethelynda herself. After this she declared that if the current generation of Yithiral could be so disloyal, it was her duty to teach the following generations to know better.
In a pause created by Rhonwen's stinging rebuke, Ethelynda then announced that she had formed the Yithiral Erudite to serve as the educational division of the Yithiral government. Rhonwen was given a white hood with olive wreath insignias sewn into the fabric, and granted the title of Legatius Lectura, becoming the first head of the Yithiral Erudite and having complete control over its organization and curriculum.
Rex Chancellor Rhonwen wasted no time in getting to work, and in 543, shortly before Talonir was discovered, Rhonwen had not only finished her curriculum, but also had the now fully formed Erudite fully versed in it. The education of the military ranks began, and Rhonwen instilled in them the culture of loyalty, respect of heritage, sanctity of bloodline, and discipline that the legions of Yithiral, later to become the Ivorian Empire, would be famous for.
However, Rhonwen never let her skill in combat and tactics wane, and despite her status as one of the heads of the Ivorian Erudite, she remains one of the most capable commanders and warriors in the entirety of the Ivorian Empire, setting a standard for other members of the Erudite to hold themselves too. Though she mostly allows Mortal members of the Erudite to attend to the majority of the Erudites administration, Rex Chancellor Rhonwen makes certain that the Erudite never strays from the principals it was founded to uphold.
Personality
Rhonwen can be summed up in one single word: proud. Arrogant, cold, and haughty, Rhonwen firmly believes that her bloodline, the noblest and greatest in all of the Ivorian Empire, makes her superior to all but her own family. However, she is neither stupid nor foolish, and knows full well that despite her age and ability, she is neither omniscient nor omnipotent, and she listens to everything her advisors, whether military or part of the Ivorian Erudite, have to say. Though she is proud, she does care about the people of the Empire, as well as the Shield-Bearers of Ethelynda in foreign lands, and she can be kind. However, she thoroughly detests disloyalty, and has a fiery temper backed by a tongue as sharp as any blade.
Appearance
Rhonwen is a dark skinned Ithecal who appears to be of the Wyvarnth tribe, with dark green, snake-like patterns running down her arms and tail. Out of armor, she tends to wear dark brown or black dresses and tunics, usually with a modest set of jewelry for contrast. Her armor, however, is burnished white, almost seeming to glow, with a white tabard worn over it to match the hood that marks her as a member of Erudite. In combat she carries a longsword and a tower shield.
Presently
Rhonwen is presently living in Ethelanum in the Ivorian Empire, where she oversees the Ivorian Erudite.